Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control device, an image processing system and a control method, and particularly to a control device, an image processing system and a control method for remotely controlling an image forming apparatus by using the control device.
Description of the Related Art
There is a method referred to as a so-called remote panel as a method of controlling a device to be controlled using a remote control device. According to this method, the information on an operation screen of the device to be controlled is transmitted to the control device, and information specifying the operation position on the operation screen displayed on the control device based on the transmitted information is transmitted to the device to be controlled. In the device to be controlled, details of an instruction are specified based on the information specifying the operation position and the display screen, to perform a process according to the instruction. Then, when the operation screen shifts as a result of the process, the information on the operation screen is further transmitted to the control device.
An example of the device to be controlled may be an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copier, a facsimile transceiver, and an MFP (Multi-Functional Peripheral) combining functions thereof.
According to this control method, by repeatedly performing transmission of the information of the operation screen from the device to be controlled to the control device that are positioned remotely from each other, and transmission of the information specifying the operation position from the control device to the device to be controlled, the process in the device to be controlled proceeds. Accordingly, when errors, failures and the like occur in the device to be controlled during the operation and the state of the device is changed, the user operating the device to be controlled using the control device becomes unable to continuously perform the operation. Also, the user operates the device to be controlled using the remotely arranged control device. Accordingly, even when the state of the device to be controlled is changed, the user cannot immediately notice the change and continues the operation, with the result that the operation may be wasted.
In order to address such a problem, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2011-218810 discloses a system by which, when a failure occurs in the device to be controlled to thereby disable communication with the control device, communication with the control device is performed by switching to an alternative device, thereby allowing continuous controlling.
However, the technique disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2011-218810 poses a problem that it becomes impossible to continuously perform the process using the information saved in the device to be controlled before a state change occurs, the state of this information, and the like.
Furthermore, when a failure occurs in the device to be controlled, an alternative device is used in place of this device. This causes a sudden change in the operation environment from the original device to be controlled, so that user's convenience may be impaired.
Furthermore, when the alternative device is an image forming apparatus located farther than the original device to be controlled or an image forming apparatus that is not usually used, user's convenience may also be impaired.